New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-23
pursued the Dacots into the Mohzutoung HIS, ana
there surprised and captured Bohpotoks whole camp
killing ten of his soldiers and woundng the CHIEF hin-
elf
BALFOURS GIGANTIC TASK.
NOW urs pPoCI.AMATIONS WILL Re MET.


ANCE OUTLINED-A CIRCULAR WHICH
CONTRADICTs MR.. BALFOUR-TALL
SWEARING AT MITCHELsTOwN.
rBY CABLE TO THE rRrBUNE.l
Copyright, 1887; The Neio York Tribune
DUBLIN, Sept. 22--1he suppression of the Ma
tional League in certain districts under the
seventh section of the Coercion Act brings us
face to face with real business. 1t will be tug
of war between the Government and the League
and before 1t Is over much suffering will have
to be endured, but the Irish people. confident
of victory, welcome the struggle with buoyant
spirit This latest proclamation means that In
every place where it is in force person is liable
to six months Imprisonment for belonging to
the National League taking part in its meetings,
or melting and summoning meeting of its men,
bers, and in any way whatsoever promoting IT'S
objects. As to the policy which the League VIII
pursue in view Of this prohibition, l can do no
better than to quote the following extract from
the article in which United Ireland" to-day
gave the mot d'ordre to the country.
"The suppressed branches must simply go on
holding their public meetings and doing their
work In the open just as usual. Against any
police who seek to intrude upon their meetings
they should barricadc their doors and let them
make their way in by force. policeman has no
more right than anybody else to invade a private
domcile. II he does he is simply trespasser and
should be treated as such. Mr.. Gladstone's die
tum that no one has right to disturb the order
of a public meeting and il any person does
break it, be he policeman, police inspector or
anybody else, he is disturber Of the public
peace, applies with tenfold force when the meet
ing is held i'm private house, which, according
t. English law, is its owners castle. For the
Sunday following such an invasion Of the prem
ises of suppressed branch an open air demon
stratiJn should be summoned to be held in tho
and Irish and British Members OF
Parliament invited to attend 1T. This meeting
should be attempted 10 be held whether the Gov
ernment proclaim it or not, and 1t should not
disperse until compelled to do so by the actual
employment Of force, of course every care being
taken by the promoters to avoid any danger OF
collision with the police or military When denied
the right of public meeting in this fashion the
suppressed branches should hold their meetings in
the premises of the nearest unsurpassed branches
and when these latter are suppressed in turn and
the same programme gone through. then the
people must fall back upon the private methods
Of organization by which they able to trans
act their business and battle the police with such
success in carrying out the Plan of Camraisn.'
thu GOVERNMENTS FUTILE POLICY.
This policy Of course will be no child's play.
1t will involve prosecutions aud imprisonments;
but it seems highly probable that il these prose-
cutions are forced upon the Government IN suii-
cient numbers their Coercion Act will break down
by the weight and confusion of its machinery. III
men are sentenced to over a months imprisonment
there will be endlcsss appeals to the County
Courts; If to a month only, the most timorous
will laugh at the sentence and be out of Jail
repeating the same offence before Mr. Balfour has
had time to look around him. There will be any
number Of volunteers for the plank bed from
every parish in Ireland. To prevent the people
from combining is an idle task, and If Mr.. Bal
four In the effort to do should fill his jails,
as Mr. Forster did before him, with the manhood
and the priesthood of Ireland there cannot be
more instructive spectacle to present TO the English
peoplc when Parliament reassembles next January.
United Ireland has unearthed another police
circular This one, which it publishes today
throws a flood of light upon the proceedings at
Mitchelstown. The preteXt for that deliberately
planned outrage the alleged necessity which
the police were under OF forcing q Government
reporter through the thickest part Of the meeting
under the protection of an armed guard. Every
body knows that the usual practice, until Nit
chestOwn, has been for the relice quietly to ask
the promoters OF the meeting for accommodation
for their reporter on the platform, but everybody
docs not know that tbs has not only been the
practice but the rule, which the police were bound
to observe. and that in following out that orderly
and common sense policy they acting on posi-
tive instructions from the Castle. The following
circular, which has been in force for the past
seven years, Will consequently be read with the
deepest interest especially in connection with the
Chief Sccretary's statement that he knew nothing
of such rule and that to lay IL down as a course
for the Government to follow appeared to him a
most monstrous, unheard Of proposition. The
circular is headed LAND League Meetings." and
is as follows:
RI CoysTABULARY OFFICE DUBLIN CASTLE
September 30, 1880.
Referring to circular Of the 21s inst 1t directed
that in all in which Constabuary shorthand re-
porters attend Land League meetings the local Consb
MARY officers are in future request the permission OF
the chairman to afori them accommodation on the
platform II this is acceded to no truncheon party
for their protection need accompany them
@. T. HITLER, InspectorGenerai
1t would be impossible TO exaggerate the i'm
portance Of this document. 1t dsposes Of the
whole case Of the police. 1t proves that the
assault upon q peaceful meeting was deliberate
attempt to provoke bloodshcd, made in violation
of q rule of their own that they have been OBJ
serving for seven years.
PHENOMENAL SWEARING AT MITCHELsTowN.
The coroner's inquest has practically brought
the whole truth about Mitcbelstown into light.
What is phenomenal is not the remarkable evidence
Of the independent witnesses, but that extracted
by the sltilful examination Of Mr. Harrington
from the police themselves. Such an exhibition
of constabulary swearing probably never
afforded to the sight Of common men, Every
constable who has got into the box has given the
lie direct to the constable who went before him.
that in Of
the barracks when the first shot fired another,
that after the first shot was fired
the crowd dispersed. not before; another,
that each of the several shots he fred
was only fred in response to a vollcy of stones,
and SO on. Perhaps the most significant swearing
of all was that of Sergeant Kirwan and Sergeant
Ryder. The former officer swore that at the In
spcction OF pouches after the firing the latter lent
sl,icla La retirped ylen the